Month: May 2012

Producers of the most expensive show in Broadway history, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, have filed a lawsuit against the musical’s former (Tony Award-winning) director Julie Taymor. The plaintiffs, 8 Legged Productions, have alleged that...

On 17 January 2012, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal declared an international collective settlement binding in the Converium/SCOR securities class action – the first such case settled on a Trans-Atlantic basis. In addition to showing...

The ACCC has announced that it will not oppose AGL Energy’s proposed acquisition of Loy Yang Power. Loy Yang Power owns Victoria’s largest power station and provides approximately one third of Victoria’s power requirements. AGL...

South Korea’s competition authority, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, is investigating claims that Google has been abusing its dominant position in the market by blocking alternative search engines on its Android-powered mobile telephones. The investigation...

On 8 May 2012, the Canadian Competition Bureau’s trial against Visa and MasterCard started. The CCB alleges that both companies imposed anti-competitive rules on merchants who accept their credit cards. Competition Commissioner Melainie Aitken argued that Visa...

Speaking in Paris earlier this year, Joaquin Almunia, EC’s competition policy chief, signalled a warning to companies that have “essential” patents for standards in particular fields that they are obliged to license them on “fair,...

On May 8 2012, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) issued its guidance on private anti-monopoly litigation. The new framework, including the following key changes, will come into effect 1 June 2012: Standing: Plaintiffs can bring...

After announcing in February that it would acquire potato chip business Pringles for US$2.7 billion, Kellogg’s received clearance for its acquisition by the European Commission. The sale not only adds Pringles to the Kellogg’s store cupboard,...

On 3 February 2012, the Federal Court of Australia handed down its decision with respect to ACCC’s claim for legal professional privilege on documents sought under a notice to produce. The respondents challenged the claim...

On 17 February 2012, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) called for submissions on a draft nutrition, health and related claims Standard. It is intended that the new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by...